Who is your ideal customer?

29th February 2016 | Posted in Branding

It’s an interesting journey taking the skills and experience that I have gained over many years of working in copywriting with corporates and large agencies and finding an effective way to share them with growing businesses.

Now I’m working with people who have been running their businesses for anything from six months to six years (and beyond in many cases) I know there are questions that we all need to focus on at all times. It’s how we evolve our businesses to achieve the greatest success.

Who is your prime audience?

There are plenty of people who might already be buying your products or services, but who is your dream customer? What makes them right for you?

This is a really interesting question to ask once our businesses are underway. That’s because we often find we’ve gathered many customers along the way that don’t really fit that profile. They may have limited budgets, be demanding of our time, are slow to pay or have other drawbacks that make them less than ideal. You may not want to lose them (at least not immediately) but you probably want to evolve that customer base.

So if you want to raise your game and reach your prime audience, you need to make sure your messages are resonating with those people first and foremost.

How do you make what you have to offer ideal for that customer?

This is about really getting under the skin of your most valued potential customer and understanding what drives them. We hear a great deal about marketing personas – drawing up word pictures of target audiences. They’re a great tool but only if you really get to the heart of needs and aspirations.

It’s not enough to conjure up a superficial character. Your personas – and you only need two or three – explain what gets these people out of bed in the morning and through the day.

What’s really important is knowing what makes them anxious and what would make them happier. It might be money, self-esteem, relationships or several of many other issues. Your job then is to work out how to apply what you can offer to their challenges, needs and dreams so that they see you as a solution that they want.

Write and picture

Now, and only now, is it time to create the actual words and images that will deliver your message concisely, effectively and appropriately. And in doing that you have to think about the tone and language that will resonate with the reader – making them feel that you understand who they are and that they can be confident in what you have to say.

So this is how I am working with evolving businesses. It can be hard to view your own business objectively, so that’s where I help by asking the questions and asking you to think beyond the everyday to where you would really like to go. With all that information on board, that’s when I start creating the words that can help you move to the next level in selling to your dream customer.

 

Like to find out more about how I can help you create effective marketing communications? Just drop me a line at [email protected] and we’ll the conversation.